UK Royal Navy has an 'esports suite' with gaming PCs inside its latest aircraft carrier

The UK Royal Navy and its partnership with the British Esports Federation have installed a first-of-its-kind 'Esports Suite' on board an active Navy warship.

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The HMS Prince of Wales now has an esports office that features 8 x Alienware PCs that feature high-end GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards, a console gaming station, and a bunch of LEDs that'll make you feel like you're right at home. The UK Royal Navy has recognized esports as a "military sport" since March 2024, actively encouraging involvement for both seamen and civilians.

There are plenty of active warships with gaming rooms featuring Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as Nintendo Switch handhelds, but the Prince of Wales is the first UK warship to include an actual esports room with high-end desktop gaming PCs.

Chief Petty Officer Martin Miller, the vice chairman of the Royal Navy's esports committee, oversees the suite and personally participates in solo gaming sessions on Sid Meier's Civilization VI. The UK Royal Navy officially sponsors the esports suite, supplying it with 12 x Alienware Aurora desktop PCs, all of the peripherals required, and everything else needed to get it up and running (and I'm sure even the RGB lighting).

Miller adds that there are future expansion goals in place, where there are plans to make space for the current surplus of Alienware PCs onboard, as well as the "impossible" goal of making space for a full-on simulation racing rig.

The esports suite and its choice of red and blue RGB lighting and layout make sense when you consider the seamen join in on team-based shooters like Halo, Team Fortress 2 (a favorite of mine), and Counter-Strike. Online multiplayer isn't something the team can do at sea, so LAN parties on the high seas are all the rage.

Chester King, President of British Esports, said: "We're thrilled to partner with the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence for this. Gaming is becoming increasingly important to the military, as it offers many benefits such as fostering communication, leadership and strategic skills, and allows personnel to strengthen bonds, unwind and maintain positive mental health".

Miller, the vice-chairman of the Royal Navy's esports committee, who voluntarily manages the onboard gaming room, said: "Other ships have PlayStations and Xboxes down on the mess deck so they can play where they live, but this is the first ship that's got a PC setup like this".